Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last century, you should be aware of reels in slot machines. They’re one of the most important elements behind slots and determine whether we win or lose – try Fluffy slots.
Don’t know what we’re talking about? That is truly baffling, but don’t worry – we’re here to clear things up. Read on to find out about:
– What reels are
– How they began
– The future of reels
So, what are they?
It’s simple really – reels are the columns that symbols spin on when you play a slot machine game. If you play a classic slot machine, then you hear the term ‘three-by-five’. This basically means that there are three rows of symbols across five columns or ‘reels’. You will need to match symbols in the middle of these reels (AKA the second row) in order to hit a basic jackpot. Back in the old days, slot machine reels were actually mechanical. There were authentic and physical reels that span around physically, stopping randomly to provide an outcome. However, these days it’s a lot harder to come across mechanical slots, and instead digital slots are much more common. With these, the reels still exist but they are simply emulated by computer graphics. Don’t worry though – they are still just a much fun as before, and we ‘reely’ do mean that!
How the Reels have Changed
As we mentioned before, the most common slot machine reel setup these days is three-by-five. However, it wasn’t always like this. Back in the old days there were generally just three reels and three rows making for a simple and low-volatility slot experience. However, times have changed, and we have gained an appetite for something bigger, so three-by-five slots are way more common. In fact, slot machine reels have changed in tons of different ways to cater for a more tech-savvy and futuristic audience. Just look at these examples of how slot reels have developed over the years:
– Some slot machines these days have ten reels or more – that is crazy!
– Even digital reels are changing – we now have ‘cascading’ bonus rounds that result in symbols falling from one reel to another!
– There are even slot machine bonus reels that can be stopped individually or prevented from spinning in the first place!
Slot machine reels truly have changed over the years, but don’t worry – old school three-reel slots haven’t gone anywhere, you can still play them on most slot websites.
Reely Good Slots
Overall, slot machine games would never even exist if it weren’t for our beloved reels – they’re the most integral part of the spinning function of slots! Games started off as simple three-reel slots, but they have become bigger and bigger to offer better and more complex reels over the years. We encourage you to try out all the futuristic slots out there, but always stay close to home and play a three-reel slot occasionally to reconnect with your roots!
